Guwahati hotel firing: Accused Ghanakanta Gogoi's body handed to family after autopsy
Synopsis
The prime accused in the Guwahati hotel shooting that killed five members of the Bharali family was himself killed in a police encounter in Sivasagar just days after completing remand — and hours after being transferred to judicial custody. His body was handed to family on Friday following a three-institution autopsy, raising questions about the sequence of events that led to his death in state custody.
Key Takeaways
Body of Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34 , prime accused in the Guwahati hotel firing , handed to family on 6 November after post-mortem at AMCH, Dibrugarh .
Autopsy lasted more than three hours and was conducted by forensic experts from three medical institutions , following custody-death protocol.
Gogoi was killed in a police encounter in Gaurisagar, Sivasagar district at around 3.10 am on Wednesday ; police allege he tried to escape.
He had been sent to judicial custody on Tuesday before being re-arrested from Guwahati Central Jail in a separate bank fraud case (2024) .
The 26 October hotel shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn, GS Road killed five members of the Bharali family and a staff member; the family's driver was injured.
A six-member SIT formed by Assam Police continues to probe the killings.
The body of Ghanakanta Gogoi, the prime accused in the Guwahati hotel firing case that claimed five lives, was handed over to his family on Friday, 6 November following a post-mortem examination at the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh, officials confirmed. The autopsy concluded a procedurally significant chapter in one of Assam's most high-profile recent crime cases.
How the Autopsy Was Conducted
The post-mortem was carried out in the presence of forensic medicine experts drawn from three separate medical institutions, in keeping with the prescribed protocol for deaths in police custody. An AMCH official noted that the examination was delayed due to the logistical time required to assemble specialists from multiple colleges. The procedure lasted more than three hours, after which the body was brought out of the Forensic Medicine Department and handed over to Gogoi's family at around 7.10 pm. The family subsequently departed with the body for their residence.
The Police Encounter That Preceded It
Gogoi, 34, was killed in a police encounter in Assam's Sivasagar district in the early hours of Wednesday, 5 November, at approximately 3.10 am, in the Gaurisagar area. Police alleged that he attempted to flee from custody while being transported to Sivasagar in connection with a separate case. The encounter has drawn scrutiny given the circumstances surrounding Gogoi's custody status at the time.
Notably, Gogoi had completed seven days of police remand in the hotel firing case and had been sent to judicial custody by a local court on Tuesday. Within hours of that order, he was reportedly re-arrested from Guwahati Central Jail in connection with a distinct bank fraud case registered in 2024 — making the sequence of events a matter of public interest and legal scrutiny.
The October 26 Hotel Shooting: What Happened
Gogoi was the leaseholder of Hotel Bilas Inn, located in Guwahati's Bora Service area along GS Road. On 26 October, gunfire erupted at the hotel, killing five members of the Bharali family and a hotel staff member. The family's driver sustained injuries in the attack.
According to police, the violence stemmed from a dispute over the management and use of the property. Disagreements had reportedly surfaced after Gogoi undertook renovations at the hotel. A meeting was scheduled on 26 October to resolve the dispute, but an argument allegedly escalated into violence, with Gogoi allegedly opening fire. The Bharali family described the attack as premeditated and demanded stringent action against all those responsible.
Investigation and What Comes Next
The Assam Police had constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killings. With the prime accused now dead, the SIT's focus is expected to shift toward any co-accused, the alleged property dispute that reportedly triggered the violence, and the broader circumstances of the encounter itself. The deaths in police custody protocol — involving multi-institution forensic oversight — signals that authorities are following due process, though the encounter will likely face independent scrutiny in the days ahead.
Point of View
And then re-arrested on a separate charge — raises procedural questions that the SIT and any judicial inquiry will need to address squarely. Encounter deaths in India occupy a contested legal space: state police claim operational necessity, while civil liberties frameworks and Supreme Court guidelines require independent scrutiny of every such death. The multi-institution autopsy signals procedural compliance, but compliance alone does not answer the deeper question of how a man in judicial custody ended up in a situation where an encounter became possible. The Bharali family sought justice through the courts; whether the system now turns that lens on itself will define how this case is ultimately remembered.
NationPress
6 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ghanakanta Gogoi and what was he accused of?
Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34, was the leaseholder of Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati and the prime accused in the 26 October hotel firing that killed five members of the Bharali family and a staff member. Police alleged a property management dispute led Gogoi to open fire during a meeting convened to resolve the disagreement.
How did Ghanakanta Gogoi die?
Gogoi was killed in a police encounter in the Gaurisagar area of Assam's Sivasagar district at around 3.10 am on Wednesday, 5 November. Police alleged he attempted to escape from custody while being transported to Sivasagar in connection with a separate case.
Why was the autopsy conducted by experts from three medical colleges?
Indian guidelines for post-mortem examinations in cases involving deaths in police custody require the presence of forensic experts from multiple institutions to ensure procedural integrity and independence. The AMCH official noted the involvement of specialists from three medical colleges delayed the examination, which lasted more than three hours.
What was Gogoi's custody status at the time of the encounter?
Gogoi had completed seven days of police remand in the hotel firing case and was sent to judicial custody by a local court on Tuesday. Within hours, he was reportedly re-arrested from Guwahati Central Jail on a separate bank fraud case registered in 2024, after which the encounter occurred during his transfer to Sivasagar.
Is the Guwahati hotel firing still under investigation?
Yes. Assam Police had constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team to probe the October 26 killings. With the prime accused now dead, the investigation is expected to focus on any co-accused, the circumstances of the property dispute, and the encounter itself.
